Train Information Window
The Train Information window is the main way of seeing detailed information about a train, and is how train routes and car destinations are manipulated. The window can be opened by pressing the Spacebar within a map, or selecting a local train file and pressing Info in the Maps and Trains Window.
Contents
Overview
The Train Information Window has four main areas
- Top left
- TSAR (Symbol and routing) information and selection
- Top right
- Various information panels
- Central
- Information on each vehicle in the train
- Bottom
- Interactions with individual vehicles
Vehicle display
Each vehicle (car, locomotive, or caboose) is displayed in order. The order can be reversed by pressing the Flip Display button - this has no impact on the actual direction in which the train is travelling.
Various pastel colors indicate cars destined for the current map, with different colors by map identity. Locomotives are indicated by yellow text on a blue background, with a light blue background indicating a unit in tow (locomotive turned off to save fuel on a lightly loaded train). Cabooses are indicated by yellow text on a black background.
The columns in the display are as follows:
- No
- Position/number of car, starting at 1 at the top of the display. Pink-highlighted numbers with asterisks indicate the selected car (one asterisk) and adjacent car (two asterisks), where the train would be uncoupled in the map view; right click on any car to select that car instead. Other colors indicate blocks that have been assigned to the trains - groups of cars travelling together to a given destination, perhaps being set off at an intermediate yard.
- Ref Mark
- Reporting mark of the car.
- Destination
- Destination of the car. For locomotives or cabooses, this is where they were created; it does not indicate an allocated home yard.
- Car Type
- The type of car or locomotive.
- RR
- Railroad serving the car's destination. For a locomotive, this displays the horsepower (HP) of the locomotive.
- L
- Displays the load state of the car - a green box indicates a loaded car, while a blank indicates empty. For locomotives, this displays the fuel level, in miles - freshly fuelled locomotives can travel 3000 miles. Depending on the game options, this can either be the number of fuel miles remaining (default), or the number of miles since last refuel (3000 indicating no fuel). An orange background indicates less than 500 miles of remaining fuel; red indicates no fuel.
- B
- Displays whether the car has been billed - a blue box indicates a billed car, which will automatically return to its origin. If the car is for the current yard and has an assigned siding number, this is shown here.
- R
- Displays red if a car is bad ordered (damaged) and needs repair at the next possible chance.
- Load
- Cargo loaded in the car, if specified. This is a cosmetic feature - it does not affect destinations. If a locomotive is Unit in Tow (turned off to save fuel on a lightly-loaded train), this is displayed here.
Control Panel
The controls here interact with the currently selected locomotive or car.
Engine Mark - Set
Set the reporting mark on a single locomotive or caboose.
In Tow - UiT
Set the selected locomotive(s) as Unit in Tow (also known as Dead in Tow). This turns off the locomotives, saving fuel - a UIT loco will never use fuel, but equally, do not contribute to the HP per Ton (HP/T) rating of a train. Railroads commonly do this on lightly loaded trains, such as empty unit trains, trains that are carrying a small number of cars for part of their journey, or trains transferring additional locos.
Engine - Paint
Paint the selected locomotive or caboose.
Car Reporting Marks - Re-Number
Renumber the selected car(s).
Blocks
Define blocks on the current train. Blocking provides a visual and textual indication of a group of cars intended to be set out at a given destination, or otherwise grouped together in some way. Using blocks is a significant help to neighbouring yard masters, who may not understand your intended blocking, or may completely miss it altogether. Blocked cars are indicated with a colour in the "No" column, and by an entry in the "Blocks" tab. Gaps within blocks are not allowed, although it is permissible to have locomotives to sit within a block.
Blocks will be retained through all switching operations, provided the train retains the same TSAR. Blocks will be renumbered as necessary, but other data will not be altered. If cars in a single block are split up by a switching operation, two separate blocks will be created.
Set
Assign the selected cars to the specified block number. The number is automatically incremented after each block. You can alter the number to assign further cars to a block.
Clear
Unassign the selected cars from any block.
Clear All
Unassign all blocks.
Edit Notes
Opens a window allowing you to specify the destination yard and note for each block. If the yard is set, a message will be displayed to the YM there indicating the existence of the block, including your note.
Flip Display
Reverse the order of cars in the display. This does not reverse the train.
History
Show a detailed history of the current vehicle.
Save
Save any changes without closing the window.
Finish
Save and close the window.
Destination
Set the destination of cars. Many options exist for doing so. Note that the destinations of loaded cars cannot be altered unless they were loaded in the current map.
Yards
Select a specific destination to the selected car(s). Use the "Specific" button to apply the choice.
These destinations are guaranteed to be able to load/unload the selected car(s). If multiple cars are selected, only destinations able to handle all of them are shown.
Only in
When checked, restrict the Yards list to only destinations in the selected state/province.
Only for
When checked, restrict the Yards list to only destinations served by the selected railroad.
C.R.S.
Choose destinations from the Custom Rail Service setup (Cars > Custom Rail Setup).
Specific
Apply the selected destination from the Yards drop down.
1x Random
Apply one random destination.
Nx Random
Apply many random destinations to a selection of cars.
Unassigned
Set the selected car to have an unassigned destination. Only empty cars can be unassigned.
Set to Here
Set the car destination to the current map. If the car was last unloaded at one of the map identities of the current map, that identity is assigned, if valid; otherwise, the primary identity of the current map is set, if valid.
Set to Empty
Set the destination to the last location to load the car, if empty.
Set to Bill
Set the destination to the billed destination, if it exists.
Change MIM
Change the map identity associated with the current car. If the car is destined for the current map, this allows the selection of a different map identity as the destination. If the car originated at the current map, this changes the map identity it is recorded as being loaded/unloaded at. For example, if a car was loaded at a siding served by both CSX and NS, and departs on an NS train for an NS destination, its originating map identity should be changed to the NS identity.
Loads and Bills
Set the load assigned to the car, or the bill status. The radio buttons on the left determine which feature is active, with the Assign/Remove buttons then performing the relevant actions.
Load
Assign the load to the current car. This load is remembered when a car is next loaded. This feature is cosmetic.
Bill
A billed car will automatically return to its origin when it reaches its destination - this works for both loading and unloading.
Siding #
Set the siding to which a car is allocated, if it is destined for the current yard. Siding numbers do not need to be adhered to. FYM will remember the siding a car was last loaded/unloaded at if it returns to the map, and will assign it there again.
